Tempers rise during sludge meeting

By Greg Little, Managing Editor, The Covington Leader Online
October 16, 2004

It was quite apparent Monday night that residents who live near the sludge farming operation in Tipton County are anything but happy.

It seemed almost chaotic at times as residents demanded answers from state officials about why Add-Van Farms has been allowed to operate over the years despite being cited numerous times for environmental violations.

Sen. Mark Norris, R-Collierville, kicked off the discussion at the meeting, which was organized by Detroit Road resident Helen Richardson.

“My job is to make sure the state is doing its job,” said Norris, who may have had the most revealing information of the night.

Norris told the audience he had spoken with the regional director of the Environmental Protection Agency in Atlanta last Friday. Norris said the director has “ordered” a team of EPA inspectors to visit the site and make an evaluation.

After the meeting, Norris said the EPA would be coordinating with officials from the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation (TDEC). He also told the audience of around 70 people he would keep in touch about the EPA visit.

One of the main focuses of Monday’s meeting, as far as residents were concerned, was the odor which comes from the sludge operation. That operation is less than a mile from where many of the residents live on Detroit Road.

“You go down there and live for six months and see how long it takes for you to shut this damn thing down,” said resident Joe Auger.

Covington resident Jim Hardin pressed state officials to “answer what they are asking.” He said the theme from the residents seemed to be how they can go about starting a process to shut down the operation.

Phillip Davis, environmental field office manager for the TDEC Memphis office, said it was not his department’s role to shut down operations, rather too make sure they are “doing it right” and complying with environmental laws.

However, he did tell the audience that local authorities do have the authority to regulate such activities, in this case that would be the Tipton County Legislative Body.

Residents said they approached county commissioners more than a year ago.

“We were laughed at,” said Richardson.

County commissioner Steve Bringle, brother of Add-Van Farms owner Van Bringle, was at the meeting and when he said nobody had contacted him about the problem, Richardson reminded Bringle he “was on the board” when the group approached commissioners.

“He’s still doing this stuff,” said resident Jesse Cook. “There hasn’t been nothing done.”

“We only control what we do,” said Terry Templeton, manager of the water pollution control division for TDEC in Memphis. “We appreciate the eyes of the community.”

Templeton told the residents they should keep a watchful eye on the sludge operation and report anything suspicious to his office. He said any complaints would be investigated.

But residents say they have complained for years and nothing has been done.

Resident Rod Weller said he had to get permits for everything from adding a shed to building a porch and his property values go up. However, he said because of the sludge operation, there’s no way to sell the property.

“What good does it do you?” he asked.

TDEC officials said Add-Van Farms is under strict orders to be in compliance, however, they did admit there is no exact way to know how much and what kind of sludge has been dumped at the site over the years.

Davis said “unfortunately,” the rules do not require exact contents of loads hauled to the site.

Detroit Road resident Jim Morgan said he has lived there for three years and is “willing to bet hazardous materials have been dumped out there.”

TDEC officials said as part of the order, Add-Van Farms was required to submit soil samples and he said they appear to be in compliance.

However, residents pressed Davis, who did say it was Van Bringle who was ordered to supply those results from a company he had hired.

Morgan said that simply isn’t good enough.

He challenged the state to work with the EPA and get groundwater and soil samples from the site and “have them tested at the EPA lab in Bethesda, Maryland.”

Another audience member said the next meeting should be at Add-Van Farms so residents can see the soil and water samples taken.

Templeton was also pressed on the issue of a flex pipe running from the Add-Van Farms site into Indian Creek. Templeton said he had seen a photograph of the pipe but said that “doesn’t prove there is sludge coming out of the pipe.”

Asked what did come out of the pipe, he said, “I don’t know what it is.”

Covington resident Jack Hall, whose family owns 200 acres in the area, at first asked the audience to “not treat these men like dogs” when dealing with state officials.

He says he’s met privately with Tennessee House Speaker Jimmy Naifeh “for the past six months” in discussing this issue.

“What you are seeing is the anger building up,” said Hall.

Later, however, Hall said that he, too, was getting frustrated with what state officials were saying and wanted some answers.

“What do people need to do to stop this?” said Hall. “What’s going on hasn’t worked for years.”

Naifeh was in attendance at the meeting as well and told the audience he has been aware of the issue for years. Naifeh said he had talked to TDEC commissioner Betsy Child last week and she assured him TDEC officials were working on the situation.

Naifeh was then asked by an audience member why he told The Covington Leader a few months ago that he was not aware of the issue.

On Sept. 1 of this year, Naifeh was quoted by this newspaper as saying, “I have not been involved in it. I can look into it. I haven’t been asked to.”

Naifeh claimed that isn’t what he said.

“The Leader misquotes me all the time,” said Naifeh.

Davis and Templeton both pointed out that 10 pits at the site have been closed, and were closed by the Oct. 26 deadline required in the order from the state.

They also said the contents of those pits were allowed to be applied to the land at the site.

“All are closed to our satisfaction,” said Davis.

He was then asked about a new pit which is allegedly being constructed at the site. Davis did say there is a new pit under construction but any use of that pit would require approval from the state.

“He can dig a hole as big as he wants, but he can’t put anything in it,” said Davis.

In a recent statement from David Owenby, director of public affairs for TDEC, he said Bringle had submitted a request to once again open food-waste permits at the site. At that time, he said Add-Van Farms had cited Rich’s Food of Arlington as the company for which the waste was to be hauled.

However, officials from Rich’s have said they do not have a contract with Add-Van Farms and are happy with the service they are getting from an Arkansas firm.

Monday night, Davis said that Bringle had amended the plan and has changed the customer to Slim-Fast of Covington.

Slim-Fast officials recently confirmed they terminated their contract with Add-Van Farms and are now using an Arkansas firm to haul away food-waste.

Davis did say no odor control plan has been submitted along with the request and that nothing would be approved until it passed close scrutiny of TDEC officials.

But residents didn’t appear satisfied.

“We are stuck there,” said Donna Hardy, who said she now has asthma and believes the stench from the sludge farm is the reason.

But commissioner Steve Bringle said when the operation began, there were only three residents living in the area and he claims they did not object to the operation.

He also said the “sludge my brother puts out is is treated.”

Further, Steve Bringle said the city of Covington “is dumping sewer” in the Hatchie River on a daily basis.

He also questioned TDEC officials to define odor. He asked if TDEC was going to make people using barbecue pits and other activities control their odor.

“Everyone else is not under a state order to comply,” countered Davis.

After the meeting, Norris said it was his intention to keep in touch with the residents and possibly have them form some sort of core group to meet on a regular basis to keep abreast of the situation.